


Bedside Manor

by Inkribbon796



Series: Masks and Maladies [32]
Category: Markiplier fandom - Fandom, Sanders Sides (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Dr. Iplier joins the adopt-a-Virgil-foundation, Gen, Still a Dark Side Virgil, Virgil tries to be a bad a guy, no one believes him, superhero au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 10:30:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21336781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkribbon796/pseuds/Inkribbon796
Summary: Dr. Iplier is a doctor and he has a patient he needs to check up on, problem is that his real patient is a skittish villain that doesn’t want to be found.
Series: Masks and Maladies [32]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538131
Comments: 6
Kudos: 130





	Bedside Manor

**Author's Note:**

> Got this piece done while working on my WIP, cause I love this growing group of heroes that take a look at Virgil and know he’s all bluster.
> 
> This is for MeowingMonkey who requested this.

Dr. Iplier didn’t usually seek out villains. He was a normal doctor, not a super powered tank, or a super speedster. Edward couldn’t control time or warp reality around him. But he did have one thing: a good judge of character.

It had led to the Host joining them, and to him even being able to find errant heroes like Eric and sending them Silver and Jackie’s way.

So he knew one thing: Anxiety wasn’t a villain. He reminded Edward of a high school kid at their first job trying not to get fired. He didn’t belong with Dark and the other villains.

Problem: he had to find Anxiety and not his friends first.

“Logan, Patton,” Dr. Iplier called over to them, both of them were in the living room watching Big Hero 6, Logan also working on something in a notebook. “Where’s Roman?”

“Out with Marvin,” Patton smiled. “You wanna watch the movie with us?”

“Wish I had time, but I need to check up on a patient,” Iplier explained.

“Oh, good luck,” Patton smiled.

“Do either of you two know places Anxiety likes to hang out?” Iplier asked, both the Sides looked at him in concern.

“Did something happen?” Logan asked.

“The Duke got seriously hurt and they turned to me for treatment,” Iplier admitted. “I wanted to find Anxiety to ask how he was doing.”

“When did this happen?” Logan asked, but Patton looked like he was worried.

“Is he okay, what happened?” Patton demanded, standing up.

“He was probably doing something reckless and got hurt,” Logan adjusted his glasses. “Either in a bid to impress Deceit or Anxiety, or something sexual in nature.”

“Trust me, it was stupid,” Iplier agreed. “But I need to find Anxiety to check how he’s doing, and I don’t trust Deceit to give me a real answer.”

“Anxiety is the only one of the Others you can trust,” Logan agreed. “I can accompany you to find Anxiety. It shouldn’t take long.”

Iplier paused, biting the inside of his cheek. “That’s thoughtful of you,” Edward stopped him. “But I’d rather not discuss the Duke’s medical information with someone other than the Duke or Anxiety. I’d rather avoid Deceit too if I can.”

Logan blinked, looking uneasy.

“Okay,” Patton cut in. “That’s fair.”

“Yes,” Logan hesitantly agreed. “Here, I have a list of the places Anxiety likes to frequent, give me a second to grab it.”

He left, and it was just Patton and Dr. Iplier in the room alone.

“Thanks,” Patton told him.

“For what?” Dr. Iplier asked.

“For looking after Anxiety, I know that’s why you’re actually going,” Patton smiled.

“I didn’t mean to step on your toes,” Iplier apologized.

“You’re not,” Patton’s smile was still bright. “I wish I could go back in time and make him feel a little better when we first . . . nevermind.”

“Were you all once a team?” Edward asked, confused.

Now it was Patton’s turn to hesitate. “Yeah, I guess you could’ve called us that. I just like to make sure all the guys are safe.”

Logan quickly came back in the room with a notecard. “Here you are, the places and times Anxiety likes to frequent. I advise caution, Anxiety does not like to be surprised.”

“I’ll take that into account, thanks,” Iplier smiled and quickly left, Patton standing between Logan and the door.

Iplier walked out to go find Anxiety in casual clothes, taking a warm jacket because it was starting to get colder in Egoton as the end of the year got closer and closer.

It took over an hour to find Anxiety, which didn’t surprise the doctor in the slightest because Anxiety was known to startle easy and hated being followed. Walking to King’s park, Iplier was grabbed and dragged up to the top of a building.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Anxiety growled, all teeth and a wide split mouth to try and intimidate and terrify the doctor.

“Oh that is just as unsettling as the first time,” Iplier admitted out loud, shrinking away from Virgil.

“Great, you again,” Anxiety grumbled, returning to normal and dropping him on the roof unceremoniously. “What do you want?”

“I have a patient I need to do a check-up on,” Dr. Iplier told him, standing up, dusting some dirt and dust off the back of his pants.

“He’s fine, made a total recovery and tried to steal an ice cream truck,” Anxiety dismissed. “You can leave.”

Iplier gave him an unimpressed look. “I’m a doctor, and I’m going to do my job even if it kill me.”

“Is your awful bedside manner what those guys have to put up with, because you need work?” Anxiety groaned, rolling his eyes. It made Anxiety look even younger to Iplier.

“I had to pick plastic shrapnel out of Creativity’s thigh three days ago because he thought breaking a sign on Google’s head was a good idea,” Iplier deadpanned. “Sometimes I think I’m only person there with a working brain.”

The side of Anxiety’s mouth went up in a half smile, “Yeah, that sounds like him, bravely stupid.”

“How’s the range of motion on his neck,” Iplier demanded.

“He’s fine, he imagined it better and it worked,” Anxiety sighed. “A bit too soon if you asked me, he should have suffered longer for the kinds of stunts he’s pulling now.”

“I’d be concerned that he’s lying but this city hasn’t been normal since Silver started walking around in a costume beating mobsters up,” Iplier allowed.

“Yeah, he’s fine, so you can go,” Anxiety dismissed, “I think there’s a car I can drop you on top of.”

“How are you doing?” Iplier asked.

Anxiety stared at him in confusion, “Why do you want to know?”

“Because you look like you’re in trouble,” Dr. Iplier admitted.

“You sound like the Captain,” Virgil groaned. “What are you my dad?”

“Well someone has to worry,” Iplier commented fearlessly.

“Thanks but no thanks, I get enough from Morality anyways,” Virgil spat. “He sent you, didn’t he?”

“No, I came to check up on you myself,” Edward sat down, trying to calm Anxiety down before he started manifesting living night terrors again. “You looked like you were in trouble when you came to me.”

“In trouble,” Virgil scoffed, clearly offended. “I am trouble. News flash Doc, I’m a bad guy. The League doesn’t keep me around because I vomit happiness and teach kids to tie their shoes. I’m a specter of nightmares.”

“You tried to keep me from finding out how the Duke almost broke his neck,” Iplier reminded. “That’s the opposite of villainous behavior.”

“Duke’s a disgusting trash goblin and I didn’t want to give him the power of seeing the horror on your face when he saw you figure out what happened.”

“I’m an ER doctor,” Iplier deadpanned. “The Duke is not the dumbest person that I’ve treated.”

“Oh yeah, Surgeon Skepticism,” Anxiety scoffed, “lay it on me, who’s so much worse than the Trash Duke?”

“Hey, I didn’t say worse,” Dr. Iplier smiled, Anxiety seemed a bit more at ease. “My favorite Darwin Award winning hero goes to the time I had to help pick giant ant eggs from one of the Septic’s arms because Silver got mind controlled by a colony of giant ants. I almost killed him.”

“That’s gross,” Anxiety admitted, “doesn’t seem that dumb.”

“Silver got his own head turned into an ant’s head to “communicate with them” and then was surprised when it all went downhill.” Dr Iplier sighed.

“Why did he think that would work?” Anxiety just stared at him in confusion. “And I thought Princey’s ideas were awful. Don’t let the Duke hear you say Silver’s worse cause he’ll try and out-stupid him.”

“Noted,” Dr. Iplier smiled. “Tell Deceit and Remus I said hi.”

“That’s not a good idea,” Anxiety told him, spider legs shooting out of his back and he set a leg in front of the doctor. “Hold on, it’s a long drop and useful doctors are hard to come by.”

Edward smiled, but did as the villain asked and was soon lightly set on the ground. “If you or the Others need a doctor again, come and see me. Even if you’re just sick with the flu. Just don’t abduct me again.”

“As if,” Anxiety huffed. “The only sickness I’ve got is that Egoton is an awful place to live.”

“Not like it used to be,” Iplier admitted. “You can actually walk down the streets without being mugged. Kids can make it to school without them getting into fights or being taken off the streets. The heroes make a difference.”

“Bet there’s five times the villains though,” Anxiety countered.

“Maybe, I try to dwell on the good things,” Iplier reminded. “I see enough stupidity and horribleness in my day job, I don’t need to go looking for more of it off the clock.”

“Not like this cesspit is worth half the effort you heroes put into it,” Anxiety huffed. “Sometimes I wish he’d stayed out of this place.”

“I stand by what I said,” the Doctor cut in. “You don’t belong with the villains.”

“Don’t press your luck,” Anxiety growled. “I am a specter of fear and a menace to society.”

“And I’m a good judge of character,” Dr. Iplier countered.

Anxiety frowned, “You sound like Patton.”

“What was that?” Iplier asked, dumbfounded, surprised that one of the League would know Patton’s real name.

“Nothing, leave me alone,” Anxiety snapped, he used the spider legs still attached to his back to climb up the building and run away from the doctor.

Iplier frowned, the doctor could do nothing but watch him leave. Still it felt like progress, even if it left him confused why Anxiety had used Patton’s real name is such a casual way. Maybe all Anxiety needed was time, and maybe Marvin or J.J to be his friend.

Resolved to keep trying, Iplier started walking back to the base.


End file.
